Prodevelop, in partnership with the Transport Innovation Center (CENIT) and the Namibian company WKN Trading Enterprise CC, has initiated a project to implement a digital platform for optimizing port calls in the ports of Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, in Namibia.
The initiative will analyze how the real-time exchange of information among various members of the port community can reduce waiting times for vessels, improve operational coordination, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions generated during the vessels' stay in port.
The execution period will last 18 months and will be developed within the second phase of the Global MTCC Network project, known as GMN. This program is managed by the International Maritime Organization and is funded by the European Union.
The action continues the pilot project announced by the IMO in November 2025 and represents the step from technology selection to its technical application in port facilities. According to program forecasts, the use of the platform could contribute to an annual reduction of up to 7% in greenhouse gas emissions from vessels while they remain in the two Namibian ports.
During the development of the project, operational and environmental data will be continuously collected. This information will allow comparisons with a previous baseline, evaluate the reduction of waiting times, and calculate emissions associated with each port call. The data will also serve to study a possible extension of the system to other African ports and developing countries.
Prodevelop will lead the consortium responsible for the technical deployment. The company will work alongside CENIT, an innovation unit linked to the International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering, CIMNE, based in Barcelona. The entity has experience in European projects related to the decarbonization of maritime transport and the digitalization of port operations.
WKN Trading Enterprise CC will take on local assistance tasks, on-site coordination, and knowledge transfer to the Namibian port personnel. Their participation will include support during installation, operational testing, and training of workers who will use the platform in Walvis Bay and Lüderitz.
The Namibian Port Authority, NAMPORT, will be the main beneficiary of the project and will participate in the implementation and use of the system in both locations. The work will be carried out in coordination with MTCC Africa, the Maritime Technology Cooperation Center created during the first phase of the GMN program to promote energy-efficient technologies and sustainable maritime practices in the region.
The technological solution will be based on POSIDONIA OPERATIONS and its Port Call Optimization module, a digital platform offered as a service and developed by Prodevelop. The system allows real-time operational information to be shared among port authorities, terminal operators, shipping agents, pilots, tug companies, and other participants in the port calls.
The data exchange will facilitate the sequencing of operations, planning of berths, and coordination of services involved from the arrival of the vessel to its departure. The aim is to limit unnecessary waits and adapt the speed and arrival time of the vessels to the actual availability of berths and port services.
The platform will use standardized programming interfaces aligned with the Just in Time port call program from the Digital Container Shipping Association and with the criteria of the International Taskforce on Port Call Optimization. This structure will allow data to be shared across different systems and will facilitate the implementation of the model in other port communities.
The calculation of emissions will follow the EMEP-EEA guidelines, used to prepare inventories of air pollutants. The methodology will also reference the experience gained from the European project PIONEERS, which has developed applications related to energy transition and emission reduction in ports like Barcelona, Antwerp, and Bruges.
The program aims to quantify carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides emissions corresponding to each port call. The data will be grouped monthly and compared with the records obtained before the installation of the system, with the goal of determining the environmental variation associated with operational changes.
Among the planned actions is reducing waiting times, improving berth planning, and streamlining the processes necessary to complete the ship's departure. Less time with auxiliary engines running can lead to decreased fuel consumption and emissions generated within the port area.
The project will also include a specific training program for the personnel of the ports of Walvis Bay and Lüderitz. Workers will receive training to use the platform and manage operational data once the pilot period is completed.
The second phase of the Global MTCC Network is aimed at enabling developing countries, especially Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, to implement energy efficiency and emission reduction measures linked to the objectives set by the IMO.